Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: Magical Realism in Latin American Literature

Lesson 16
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ELA

Unit 4

10th Grade

Lesson 16 of 22

Objective


Determine Gladwell's central ideas about memory in the podcast.

Readings and Materials


  • Podcast: “Revisionist History: Free Brian Williams” by Malcolm Gladwell 

  • Transcript: “Free Brian Williams” 

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

How does Gladwell develop the idea in his podcast that memory is fallible? Use examples from the podcast to support your answer.

Sample Response

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Key Thinking


Close Read Questions

Listen from 2:42–13:03. How does Brian Williams' version of the events in Iraq change over time? What is the public reaction to his story, and what is the effect on his career?

Listen from 16:31–25:23. What is a flashbulb event? What did the psychologists discover about memory by studying 9/11?

Listen to 25:24–28:06. How do people's perception of their memory compare with what research in the memory field shows?

Listen to 28:07–35:29. Compare how psychologists in the memory field responded to the Brian Williams' story versus how the media responded.

Homework


  • Book: Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez  — Chapter 2, pp. 25–38

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • In relation to the previous chapter, when does this chapter open?

  • What do you learn about the background of Bayardo San Román? Why has Bayardo San Román come to town?

  • What is Angela's initial reaction to Bayardo?

  • What is Bayardo San Román’s father known for?

  • What do Angela Vicario's confidantes explain to her about a woman's "honor"?

  • How does the narrator describe the Vicario's house? Why is that description significant?

  • Why does the narrator's mother consider Angela Vicario's putting on the wedding veil to be an act of courage?

  • How does Pura Vicario respond when Bayardo returns Angela on their wedding night?

  • Who does Angela identify as the man who took her virginity?

Annotation Focus

Add any new characters/details to your character map.

Notes for Teachers

This reading references suicide. Make sure students are aware of this content when assigning the homework.

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Standards


  • RI.9-10.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • RI.9-10.2 — Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • SL.9-10.3 — Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.1
L.9-10.6
RI.9-10.10
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.6
W.9-10.9
W.9-10.9.b
W.9-10.10

Next

Analyze what the characterization of Bayardo, Angela, and the circumstances of their marriage reveal about honor in this society.

Lesson 17
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